Tag: #AgilePM

An AI Factory using the Service Desk

Posted on by Marbenz Antonio

Artificial Intelligence (AI): 3 imperatives to support business agility | The Enterprisers Project

Service desks are at a very interesting phase right now as they transition from being just technical to be able to offer strategic insights that are useful throughout a company.

Additionally, this entails providing more value by combining hyper-automation with ITIL 4 standards.

The ITIL helped the traditional service desk transform into a single point of contact and knowledge for user requests, whereas the traditional service desk was, in effect, a helpdesk focused on users’ technical issues.

Now that ITIL 4 concepts have been implemented, the service desk should be viewed as an integral element of an organization’s strategy because it has complete knowledge of customer behavior, the customer journey, and whether a new service deployment has been successful or not.

Additionally, ITIL 4’s acceptance of cutting-edge tools and techniques, such as artificial intelligence (AI), offers the service desk even another chance.

AI and Service Desk

Though leaders are starting to understand that data produced by AI across enterprises is the “new oil,” they usually don’t know where to begin or how to use it.

But they think they can find the solution right in front of them at the service desk. This division could serve as the foundation for new AI initiatives as it daily gathers gigabytes of data.

In the modern service desk, there are typically fewer people, but they tend to be more mature and capable of offering strategic input due to growing automation, particularly chatbots and virtual assistants. This also applies to the huge amount of interesting and valuable data processed throughout the department.

However, it’s also true that service desk staff must be knowledgeable about handling data, as this is the main challenge facing many AI projects today. In actuality, that involves cross-departmental collaboration as they must spend 50% of their time talking to the data owners. The next 30% of the effort is spent figuring out multi-structured data that is supplied by various platforms.

The service desk can then start acquiring the knowledge and abilities necessary to produce new machine-learning models and integrate them into organizational strategy.

From Skill to Strategy

Gathering and comprehending data is the first stage; turning it into something strategically useful requires two things in particular:

  1. a user or user perspective
  2. working with internal divisions to understand their needs and how they relate to the overall strategy of the company.

Service desk specialists who are familiar with ITIL 4 should already possess those skills. The service desk practice in ITIL 4 offers suggestions for:

  • the needs and difficulties of internal customers
  • View the entire customer experience
  • Give predictions of what will happen, for instance, in terms of service interruptions.

The service desk can then learn new AI skills to contribute to AI projects across the enterprise in collaboration with a data science team, effectively making these activities more strategic than tactical and siloed.

The ability of the service desk to use diagnostic analytics, predictive analytics, and, at the most advanced level, prescriptive analytics will all develop over time as the desk becomes more mature.

A service desk set up according to this best practice makes it much simpler to get the necessary data and provides more wisdom to the overall strategy because ITIL 4 focuses on the end-to-end perspective of going from demand to value through a service value system.

How about career advancement at the service desk? A service desk set up according to this best practice makes it much simpler to get the necessary data and provides more wisdom to the overall strategy because ITIL 4 focuses on the end-to-end perspective of going from demand to value through a service value system.

How about career advancement at the service desk?

The service desk’s most knowledgeable employees can deal with data and translate it to strategy because they mix data science and ITIL 4 expertise.

The top service desk employees will be promoted outside of the department as a result of this opportunity for professional advancement. However, they are more likely to shift to new responsibilities inside their current employer than seek employment elsewhere because their abilities are valuable to the entire organization.

 

Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

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How to Create Applications using Agile, DevOps, and ITIL

Posted on by Marbenz Antonio

Agile Requirements & Traceability Basics | Perforce

Results for customers are changing when new applications are developed using a combination of ITIL®, DevOps, and agile approaches.

While ITIL provides incident, problem, and change processes to the application development journey, DevOps and agile are enabling better communication, greater analysis of customer needs, and providing a quality solution.

In our experience, combining the various ways offers greater organization, service, and customer follow-up. Although certain businesses that are less familiar with ITIL may need to go through an education process, these businesses eventually come to appreciate the benefits of ITIL once they are exposed to certain services and realize they don’t have to “accept and adapt” ITIL in its totality.

App development in action

So, how does the combined method of developing apps function?

When a customer, for instance, requests a new application feature, our methodology helps us to develop a “story” that explains their request, such as “the customer wants to perform X because of Y.” Agile forces us to communicate these “storified” needs to the development team so they can better understand and concentrate on what the client needs. Additionally, it gives the client the ability to feel more interested in the result while enabling the development team to uncover technical solutions.

The agile component encourages us to deliver in numerous phases, which gives us more flexibility in creating new functionality for the customer. It is more concerned with quality and delivering the correct things than speed.

In the end, we’ve discovered that the strategy significantly affects the outcome: we are in constant communication with consumers and growingly productive. We produced 200 new functionalities for customer apps last year, which was a record-breaking accomplishment for a tiny development team.

Eliminating team silos has significantly altered the ethos of our own company. Customers now consider us as a solid group that works more successfully.

How can you make it work now that more businesses and government agencies are beginning to recognize the value of this hybrid ITIL, DevOps, and agile approach?

  1. Obtaining senior-level ownership
    When introducing new procedures, you require strong leadership and the support of managers.
  2. Developing project management skills
    Your employees must be willing to expand their skill sets through best practice training and certification programs, along with experience gained in real-world situations.
  3. A shift from technical to softer skills
    Now more than ever, a developer’s soft skills—such as listening, communicating, and understanding customer needs important. The ability to think analytically and strategically is just as important as writing code!
  4. Continual improvement of functionalities
    It’s important to translate concepts into practical applications and to be a skilled negotiator to bring along team members for ongoing advancement.
  5. Breaking down silos
    In large, public organizations where departments are not used to collaborating and communication is challenging, you could encounter some opposition to new techniques. You must dismantle these siloed techniques, even though it might take longer.

We have a focus on delivering quality improvements along with a process for handling issues and change thanks to the integration of ITIL, DevOps, and agile methodologies. It manages any defects that customers report through an incident handling mechanism, which allows developers to produce a patch.

Ultimately, the combined approaches are complementary, and we wouldn’t work any other way today.

 

Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

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Reasons why PMOs must understand Agile

Posted on by Marbenz Antonio

7 Reasons to Switch to Agile Project Management! - Supply Chain Game Changer™

“What can we do about Agile?”

Although this topic has been discussed for years, PMOs (project, program, and portfolio management offices) are still asking that question. The impression that Agile entails losing control is a major contributor to the ongoing real concerns.

However, we’ve also observed that some PMOs are purposefully excluded from Agile meetings since it is believed that they will discourage the new method of working by requesting more documentation or reports. When you think about it, it’s ironic that the PMO is perceived in this situation as being opposed to change when it’s the PMO that implements change.

Tips and Technique

We instruct the PMO to be present in Agile and recognize that everyone is simply trying to deliver projects; Agile just does it differently. Instead of hiding out. The important thing is to understand that Agile may be quite beneficial if you just buy into it. Of course, this calls for a mentality shift, so we advise the PMO to begin with these straightforward actions:

  • Be present: Attend the retrospectives, Scrum meetings, and demos if they are being held. On one of those boards, you’ll get all the information you require.
  • Try it: Instead of running away in terror, find out more. Instead of giving in to your innate resistance to change, try it out.
  • Proactively change your perspective: Get out of your comfort zone and consider fresh options. Ask what you can do for the Agile teams to help the project go more smoothly rather than asking them for information. It’s more about “how can I help you?” than “give me this”.

Hybrid Approach

This does not mean that there should be an “either-or” choice. Organizations usually mean to work faster, more flexibly, and more adaptable when they say they need to be more agile.

To track some sort of value and delivery against expectations, they usually still need a certain amount of control at the start and finish of a project. Because the world is changing at an ever-increasing rate, it is the middle section of a project that needs to be focused on.

Because projects are rarely pure Agile or pure business, using a hybrid approach like PRINCE2 Agile® may prove to be the best course of action. It can only be a good thing that this professional certification recognizes and brings the two sides together for better integration.

 

Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

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Blending the best of all worlds with Agile Project Management

Posted on by Marbenz Antonio

Agile Project Management with MeisterTask - Focus

Does everyone who uses agile project management understand what it means?

For some, it’s about providing content quickly. Others see it as a fusion of Agile and more conventional project management techniques that, with the correct emphasis, results in a faster pace. Same result, a different way of thinking

Agile delivery of digital products is a clear choice, but it’s not always optimal to adopt it solely in every project. Effectiveness can be improved by combining the best elements of several approaches.

For instance, in a company that employs PRINCE2®, project sponsors demand to know what, when, and whether the project will deliver results. Their level of trust in a project may be impacted if Agile is used alone since it does not give the information they expect.

However, exposure to Agile methodologies expands project managers’ skill sets by teaching them to think differently, communicate more usually, and interact with stakeholders more extensively while still keeping sponsor confidence. It is challenging, but it’s also a great method to learn.

Managing blended projects

When managing projects using a combination of traditional and Agile approaches, project managers need to be aware of many things:

1. Governance

This specifically relates to the project’s benefits and building sponsor confidence in their realization.

The variety of roles and duties, such as scrum masters, product owners, and project managers all making independent decisions that may affect other decisions being made, however, raises the possibility of conflict.

Agile practitioners, whose attention is on the product and the advancement of benefits, believe that sponsors sometimes request “too much information,” even though the sponsor does need to know this. To create enough data for the sponsor to present to the board and executives, the project manager should work with the Agile team(s).

To do this, practitioners from other disciplines must put aside any preconceptions, acknowledge one another’s abilities, and work together. The people and knowing what is appropriate for the project or change endeavor matter just as much, if not more.

2. Increased stakeholder communication in a mixed method environment

Project management involves close collaboration, albeit to a lesser level than agile working. When stakeholders ask Agile teams about the final product, such as “when will I get it? “, they may, nevertheless, obtain less information than they anticipated. “, and “What will I do with it? ”.

Project managers run the danger of alienating stakeholders if they don’t control stakeholder expectations and keep them in line with the modifications being proposed.

3. Developing an approach and skills for successful agile project management

Companies want the employees working on their projects or initiatives to be adaptable to various approaches, but in the real world, there is still some work to be done.

Organizations picking one strategy totally over another typically learn it doesn’t work. Instead, consider combining the best elements of Agile and conventional project management methodologies with a healthy dose of communication and collaboration as the way forward.

 

Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

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Why Should You Use AgilePM®?

Posted on by Marbenz Antonio

The world’s most popular agile project management framework and certification.

Reasons to Adopt AgilePM®

Agile’s effect on project management continues to increase at a faster rate. Agile tools and frameworks are being used by more companies and project managers than ever before to improve the effectiveness of – and return on investment from – projects and other change efforts.

Improved revenue and speed to market are common Agile advantages, as are producing the correct product/solution (via iterative development and incremental delivery), and enhanced cooperation and customer happiness.

AgilePM has quickly established itself as the top framework and certification for agile project management since its inception in 2010.

The AgilePM guidance, which is based on the Agile Business Consortium’s Agile Project Framework, provides a practical and repeatable methodology that strikes the perfect balance between the standards, attention to detail, and visibility required for good project management and the fast-paced, change, and empowerment offered by Agile.

AgilePM provides a scalable and organized corporate Agile framework based on best practices. So, why should companies and project managers think about AgilePM to help them implement or enhance agile project management practices?

A tried-and-true corporate strategy:

The AgilePM technique is a subset of the Agile Project Framework developed by the Agile Business Consortium for project managers. The framework, which has been in place for more than 20 years and is routinely updated to reflect current practices and business requirements, offers governance and rigor while also allowing businesses to be agile and flexible. A wide range of enterprises from diverse sectors and industries have selected AgilePM and the underlying Agile Project Framework as their preferred methodology.

Considering the entire project lifecycle (in addition to product development):

The informality of many agile methodologies can be intimidating for businesses delivering projects and programs, especially if they already have formal project management systems in place. AgilePM is a mature strategy that maintains the notions of a project, project delivery, and project management while providing agility and flexibility.

Change management actions are included:

AgilePM goes beyond other project management methods in that it provides a specific procedure for determining how what has been generated will be put into action. This stage is critical to the AgilePM lifecycle because it guarantees that the focus is on how to support users after the deliverables are made accessible.

Controls for quality and governance:

Never Compromise Quality is one of AgilePM’s basic concepts. High-level acceptance criteria are agreed upon at several points throughout the project lifecycle in an AgilePM project, ranging from high-level criteria at the feasibility stage through targets for each step of product/solution development. All positions must ensure that what has been developed satisfies its quality requirements, and quality is understood before any work is done, so everyone understands what good looks like before they begin. This is a significantly more efficient method than rejecting work after it has been completed because it fails to fulfill quality requirements that were not specified at the outset. All of this is done to ensure that the solution meets the business demand as well as the project goals.

Management of risk:

AgilePM delivers effective risk management techniques, directly tackling many of the most prevalent project risks (e.g. missing fixed deadlines and having unclear or volatile requirements). The Project Approach Questionnaire is a good place to start when it comes to developing a clear, common knowledge of project risks and how to manage them.

Roles and duties are clearly defined:

Any project’s success is built on the ability of people to work together successfully. AgilePM recognizes this and gives explicit roles and duties to each project team member, representing the project’s business, solution/technical, management, and process interests. To break down any communication barriers, everyone participating in an AgilePM project works closely together, with the greatest ideas coming from self-organizing, empowered teams.

Popular agile practices incorporated:

AgilePM supports effective product and solution development by incorporating and encouraging a variety of popular agile approaches. These include MoSCoW Prioritisation (a strategy for helping to understand and manage priorities), Timeboxing (a specified amount of time at the end of which an objective has been fulfilled), and Iterative Development (a technique for helping to understand and manage priorities) (a process in which the evolving solution, or part of it, evolves from a high-level concept to something with acknowledged business value).

Integrate with current workflows:

While AgilePM may be used as a stand-alone project management technique, it was developed to function alongside more structured project management systems like PRINCE2® and can be integrated into codified quality procedures like ISO9001.

The Agile Business Consortium’s basic rules for efficient agile project delivery support the AgilePM framework:

The eight principles are intended to complement the Agile Business Consortium’s core idea, which is that:

“best business value emerges when projects are aligned to clear business goals, deliver frequently, and involve the collaboration of motivated and empowered people”.

The AgilePM framework is backed up by APMG-approved training and certifications. Since 2011, over 65,000 tests have been taken worldwide, with the number of applicants representing a diverse variety of businesses and sectors.

The global network of APMG’s certified training organizations (ATOs) provides a variety of training choices to meet the needs of unique candidates and clients.

 

Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

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